Spanish Wine Dinner of the Year

Calling all wineauxs,

If you have ever traveled through Spain, are planning a future trip to Spain, or simply cannot afford a trip to Spain and are looking for the next best alternative, then make your reservations for an extraordinary wine dinner at Rio Mar on Thursday September 16th at 7:00pm.

We at Blackened Out have been working with fellow blog character Spaniard to organize the first of what will hopefully be a recurring series of wine dinners at some of our favorite local restaurants. Hosting the first dinner will be none other than Gerry Dawes, the award-winning writer and travel guide on Spanish gastronomy, wine and culture. Affectionately known as "Mr Spain", Gerry has over 30 years experience wandering the back roads, discovering fantastic little known wineries and exploring Spanish cuisine from inconspicuous tapas bars to the work of Ferran Adria at El Bulli. Gerry has been awarded numerous accolades for his work, including Spain's prestigious Premio Nacional de Gastronomía (National Gastronomy Award) in 2003. In short, he's kind of a big deal in the Spanish food and wine world.

Gerry has worked diligently with his favorite importers and local distributors selecting 6 different wines for the dinner, which will include vintages and varietals not often seen on local menus. While Gerry has focused on filling the glasses, Chefs Adolfo and Miles have designed a special 9 course menu to match the wines. The menu will feature many specialties from the Galician region, including delicacies such as sweetbreads and stuffed squid. Before dinner and in between courses, Gerry will offer tasting notes on the wine and entertain diners with tales of his visits to the various wineries and regions throughout Spain.

The cost of the dinner is $125 inclusive of food, wines, tax and tip. Reservations are necessary and seating is limited to 60 people. Call 525-3474 to reserve your seat today, as this dinner is sure to sell out quickly. To read an interview with Gerry about the upcoming dinner, check out this nola.com article by Todd Price.

MENU

White Wines: Godellos

A Coroa

Casal Novo

Castelo do Papa

Red Wines: Mencias

Casal Novo

Peza do Rei

D. Ventura Viña Cañeiro

Food served family style in waves

Seafood

Pulpo a la feira Parillada de mariscos

(seasonal fish, mussels, shrimp, clams and hopefully razor clams)

Empanada Gallega

Sardinas Asadas

Chocos Rellenos

Other Dishes

Cecina Estilo Leon de Aqui

Caldo Gallego

Lacon con Grelos

Mollejas con Pimientos

Xarrete de Ternera con Papas

- Menu is subject to change -